Top U.S. Commander Says Military Has Flexibility to Keep Some Troops in Syria by Gordon Lubold – Wall Street Journal
The top U.S. commander in the Middle East said he is moving forward with plans to pull American forces out of Syria, but said the military has the flexibility to leave some troops there if President Trump decides to reverse himself and maintain an American presence in Syria as a counter to Iran.
Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, said equipment is being moved out of Syria as part of Mr. Trump’s plan to withdraw all troops from the country. In the coming weeks, service members also will begin to leave, he said.
Mr. Trump decided in December to withdraw from Syria, saying the Islamic State extremist group had been defeated. He made the move without consulting with top Pentagon officials, including Gen. Votel, officials said.
Since then, U.S. military and civilian officials in Washington have debated whether to leave some troops in Syria for a number of reasons, primarily to serve as a counterweight to Iran.
Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, has expressed a preference for keeping some forces in Syria, according to a former senior administration official.
Mr. Trump said earlier this month that he wants to have U.S. troops in Iraq to “keep an eye” on Iran, infuriating many Iraqi politicians who said American troops are in Iraq to support the Iraq’s fight against Islamic State, not to counter Iran. Meanwhile, multiple officials said discussions have intensified within the White House over leaving some of the troops in Syria. Leaving some troops in Syria would be a significant reversal for Mr. Trump, who has moved to bring troops home from conflicts…